India, Dec. 27 -- Manmohan Singh, known for his soft-spoken nature and intellectual depth, was a consensus builder who commanded respect across political lines. His tenure as Prime Minister saw landmark initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, among others.

The two-time former prime minister, the architect of India's historic economic liberalisation, passed away on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. He was 92.

Despite being labelled by critics as a "silent PM", Manmohan Singh defended his leadership style. At the launch of his book Changing India in December 2018, Manmohan Singh said, "People say I was a...